Review Group discussion

The review group is the most successful group for peer reviews on Goodreads. It hosts non-reciprocal reading/review rounds of ten authors with a variety of themes and genres, as well as ‘general’ rounds where any book is permitted, from non-fiction, to horror. When a round has ‘now forming’ in the title, there are places available, you can sign up. If it doesn’t, it’s full – look for another round or check back another time.

The Amazon rules state that authors/publishers are not allowed to specifically supply published books in return for reviews on Amazon. To comply with this rule, we don’t insist members review on Amazon, but we do insist that every participant in the round has the capacity to leave a review on their local Amazon store, so we all start with the same options.

The founding principle of the group is honest, non-reciprocal reviews, so please help maintain the integrity of the group by letting me know as you sign up if you have been reviewed by, or have reviewed another author in the group and do check back as the group fills to report any clashes. Usually places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

This is a 'Novella' round.

Fiction and non-fiction, adult and children's books under 45,000 Words

Please note it is always possible that the books you are assigned may contain material you find upsetting or offensive. If you can't commit to this, please do not sign up.

Now for the boring stuff, but please read it, it saves a lot of time if everyone is on the same wavelength.
Before signing up below with your Goodreads author and Goodreads book link in the thread below, please ensure that:

1. You have enough time to read and review 4 books within the 12 weeks of time allowed.

2. Your book is currently available for sale on Amazon (not pre-order) and it complies with the individual round theme, if there is one.

3. Your book is fit to be reviewed.
If it is not, due to editing or other issues, you risk poor reviews. This is your problem, not that of the reviewers or the groups. For a small fee, the group admin will look at the first few pages of your book to advise. The number one error new authors make is not having their book beta read and edited, by non-family members.

4. You can submit reviews to Goodreads and Amazon.
Amazon allows only those people who have spent $50 in the last year to leave reviews in each of their stores. If you are unsure about your Amazon reviewer status, try posting a ‘test’ review before signing up. If you are unable to post reviews on Amazon, please do not sign up.

5. You can provide (and accept) at least PDF files.
You are not expected or required to buy the books you are allocated to review, but as this will give a ‘Verified Purchase’ review on Amazon, it is welcomed when you choose to do so. Many authors have books available via KU and others might provide smashwords coupons. Most authors can provide mobi and/or epub files directly by email. Please note: International Copyright laws apply. You cannot sell, or give away material you have received without the author’s express permission.

6. You have completed your reading if you are currently in another review round in this group. You can be involved in the ‘one for one’ list whilst you are in a round.

7. You have an author profile set up before you join.

8. Your Goodreads profile allows people to message you, i.e. your profile is not set to private.

9. You declare any relationship you have with another member in the round.
Amazon will not allow reviews from the same household on the same book or if you are an editor, relative or close friend of another member.

10. You agree that your reviews will be unbiased and honest, whatever the star rating, and you will try to avoid ‘spoilers’. i.e. giving away the finale of a book. Please note the Review Group will back any reviewer's right to express their opinion about a book, but personal comments about a fellow author are against both Review Group and Goodreads policy.

11. You will not ask a fellow author to change a review of your book because you don’t agree with it.
If you think you have a legitimate concern, talk to the mod of your round, NOT the other author. Personal attacks, or pressurising other members WILL NOT BE TOLERATED and will result in you being blacklisted.

Please note:
We all want reviews, it’s why we joined the group. It is bad taste to expect other people to review your book and then not do the same for other people in the group. People that DNF and/or don’t post reviews will find it difficult to get into a subsequent group.

It is not necessary to leave any kind of disclaimer in your review, but ultimately, it is up to individuals. Reviews that state you received a copy ‘in return’ for a review will probably be removed/not allowed by amazon.com. ‘I received a free copy from the author without an obligation to review’ would be more acceptable if you feel the need to add a disclaimer.

Your Goodreads details and the rounds you participate in may be recorded by the admin mod on a database. We do not retain details of email addresses etc.

Allocation is entirely random and there will NOT be any rearranging of the listing to accommodate personal preference. The ONLY circumstance in which you may duck out of giving a review is if YOU provide a stand-in reviewer.

The only way this group can function is if we trust each other to behave honourably. And it IS perfectly possible to give a fair-minded review of a text that does not coincide with our normal choice of reading matter. If you need a few hints/tips, please see this thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I will do my best to fit everyone into the group they request, but occasionally, particularly in the case of our more prolific good standing members, I may have to decline a member request to fit the maximum number of people into a particular round. I will always endeavour to start another round as soon as possible with that member in mind.

It is permissible to review an author more than once if a different book is available.
If you need anything clarified please ask, either by goodreads personal message to me or on the thread below, before signing up. It’s a pain to have to keep rearranging the list because people haven’t read the above.

Your group moderator will be:
Jeff

Member Links * Book Links
1. Blood and Beauty and Other Weird Tales*Jeff Chapman
2. The Lake Quilt Mystery*S.D. Brown
3. Son of Night King of Shadows*Whittney Corum
4. Emotional Truths Of Relationships*Balroop Singh
5. The Good Luck Booger*Phillip Murrell
6. Stop thinking! Proven Neuroscience Methods to Spark Your Creative Brain for Richer, Deeper Writing.*Abbie Owen
7. Labyrinthia*Ann Birdgenaw
8. The Last Dog: A "tail" of adoption for a dog and a boy*Liane Joly
9. Camouflage: Later in Life Romance*T.N. Traynor
10. A Fight to Live: "X" Marks the Spot*Ann Albert-Rose


In order to participate in this round, your setting for 'Who Can Send Me Private Messages' needs to be 'anyone'.
Please follow this link to check - and if necessary change - your privacy setting.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/edit?t...

I'd like to participate! My book link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Hello, I am new to this but also interested:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Hi Kat, thanks for running a new Reading Round. I would like to participate, please.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

I would like to join with Antuna's Story
Terry Birdgenaw
T.N. has read it, but could read my second book, although it is not
a novella.

Welcome, Abbie.

Hi Ben!

Before I can add you, I need you to please claim your author profile on Goodreads. (Right now you are posting from a regular user profile.) To claim your author profile, contact Goodreads Help Desk and ask them to merge your user profile with your author profile.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/about/conta...

I'd like to join in! I have a children's book!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Welcome, TN and Terry!

All, it will help me greatly if as more people join the round, you will update me with anyone you have reviewed in the past, or who has reviewed you. I will try to check bookshelves as well, but the more eyes we have checking, the more likely we are to get an order that works for everyone from the get go. :)

To check if you have reviewed someone in the past, please go to your My Books, and type in the name of the author in question. That will tell you if you have reviewed them before.

To check if someone has reviewed YOU, go to their author profile, click under their avatar where it says 100 reviews (or whatever) and that will take you to their bookshelf. Then type in your name in their search bar to see if they have reviewed you before.

Hope this helps!

Welcome, Liane!

If you can fi me in, I'd like to join with my middle grade novel : The Lake Quilt Mystery https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Hi Kat, I would like to join this group with my non-fiction book:
Emotional Truths of Relationships

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
So far...
Terry has reviewed two of my poetry books.
I have reviewed Traynor's book.

Welcome, SD and Balroop. SD, is there another profile that you have reviews under, besides this one, that I need to check for clashes?

If you allow a children's picture book, I'd like to sign up with The Good Luck Booger.

Balroop and SD have reviewed me before.

I have reviewed Balroop before, but not this book.

Welcome, Phillip!

Hi can I join with my Black Hole Radio series. Blaroop and Abbie have read some but not all of my books and I have read Terry's books But no clashes with anyone else. I think I can fit into the #4 spot

Labyrinthia

Abbie, do you have another goodreads account where you post reviews? Your author account indicates you have not reviewed anyone before but if you have reviewing history I need to be able to check your shelves for clashes.

Ann, I am sorry. I can't make that one work due to too many clashes.

I ALSO WRITE UNDER SPIKE BROWN


Balroop wrote: "Hi Kat, I would like to join this group with my non-fiction book:
Emotional Truths of Relationships

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
So far...
Terry ..."

I HAVE REVIEWED BALROOP & PHILLIP

Okay, Ann and Terry are going to swap out places for this round.

Thank you, Sharon.

Thanks Kat.

I would love to participate! My book link is A Fight to Live: "X" Marks the Spot
This is my first time, so please let me know if I am missing anything. Thanks!

I would like to submit my book Son of night king of shadows
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Hi Everyone. May I join with my new book The Mummy's Vengeance. Please advise and take care.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKLKLK6G/...

I would like to join with Blood and Beauty and Other Weird Tales. These are dark fantasy stories (perfect for Halloween). In total the collection is 22,000 words.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

I have reviewed:
S.D. Brown
Balroop Singh
Phillip Murrell

Has reviewed me:
Ann Birdgenaw

Hello! Do I fit by any chance, with my new children's book? (maybe in slot 1?) :) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Have read: S.D., Balroop, Phillip.

Have been read by: Ann B, Jeff, David

Kat wrote: "Welcome, TN and Terry!"

Thanks :)

I forgot to say earlier. I have read one of S.D.'s other works. Ann and Balroop have read some of my Jigsaw books. Please advise if I can be a good fit and take care.

I have read some of David's Jigsaw books.
and Balroop Singh has read me.

Sorry, I missed T.N. She has read Beginnings and Warheads. No one has read The Mummy's Vengeance yet.

Thanks for reporting those clashes everyone!

I'm going to see who I can fit into this round based on clashes and then I'll start a general round with the other 2-3 people starting it off. If you'd rather not be in a general round, that's okay, just let me know and I can remove you.

Welcome, Jeff, Whittney and Ann Albert-Rose.

David and Angela, I was not able to fit you in due to clashes, however I will place you in the 342 round I am about to open. I you would like to opt out or enter a different book, just let me know.

We'll check now to make certain there are no conflicts, and alternates are available for those who need them.

Please tell me if you have reviewed any of the four people above you on the list (the list wraps around so (10) is 'above' (1) ). Please also check that if you have already reviewed any of the four people 'below' you on the list, they have more books available that you have not yet reviewed.

Remember you're SENDING your book to the four names above you (the list wraps so 10 is above 1) -- and you're RECEIVING books from the four names below you on the first post of the thread.

Once EVERYONE confirms they're good to go, the round can begin.

Member Links * Book Links
1. Blood and Beauty and Other Weird Tales*Jeff Chapman
2. The Lake Quilt Mystery*S.D. Brown
3. Son of Night King of Shadows*Whittney Corum
4. Emotional Truths Of Relationships*Balroop Singh
5. The Good Luck Booger*Phillip Murrell
6. Stop thinking! Proven Neuroscience Methods to Spark Your Creative Brain for Richer, Deeper Writing.*Abbie Owen
7. Labyrinthia*Ann Birdgenaw
8. The Last Dog: A "tail" of adoption for a dog and a boy*Liane Joly
9. Camouflage: Later in Life Romance*T.N. Traynor
10. A Fight to Live: "X" Marks the Spot*Ann Albert-Rose

Wow!
This group filled like lightening.
I'm good to go.

I'm good

Perfect! I am good to go.

Good to go

Good to go.

I'm good to go!

That's six out of ten checked in! Yay! We just need to hear from Phillip, Liane, Tracy, and Ann Albert-Rose, and then we can start. :)

Yes! I am good to go!

Kat wrote: "Welcome, Jeff, Whittney and Ann Albert-Rose.

David and Angela, I was not able to fit you in due to clashes, however I will place you in the 342 round I am about to open. I you would like to opt ou..."
Thank you Kat, that works for me! :)

Sorry, I'm here. Yes good to go. :) thanks Kat

Good to go!

I'm good.